Good concerts that are affordable can be hard to find these days, but the Penticton and District Community Concerts defies that.
“The entertainment industry is changing, the audience is changing,” said spokesperson for the community concerts Irwin Hobden. “People just can’t afford or aren’t buying the $40 to $60 range tickets as much anymore.”
It is one of the main reasons why the group has maintained their season membership ticket package. The packages cost $90 for adults and $15 for students, the ticket holder gets to see four concerts at the Cleland Community Theatre in Penticton, but also gains access to concerts in Kelowna and Vernon.
“We are pressured all the time to sell single tickets but we don’t. We refuse to. Now the reason for that is you sell the season membership so we have enough money in the bank a year in advance to buy our entertainment for the following year,” said Hobden, stating the single tickets have proven not to be successful. “Going back about 30 years there was 15 or 16 communities in B.C. that sold season tickets. They all backed away to sell singles and now there is only a handful of these groups left.”
Hobden said members who may not be able to attend a concert can give their tickets away so others may enjoy it.
After the Community Concert group left Pen High auditorium when it was demolished, they received some poor feedback because of the bad sight-lines on the flat floor at their venue at the Bethel Tabernacle Church.
Hobden said they are now in Cleland Theatre and hoping to see their membership grow, especially with a great lineup for the fall.
For the first show on Sept. 24, the Fine Arts Quartet, is one of the most distinguished ensembles in chamber music today. The quartet is celebrating its 66th anniversary and is one of the elite few to have recorded and toured internationally for over half a century. They will be followed by Capella Artimisia on Oct. 25. Founded in 1991, the all-women’s vocal ensemble is based out of Italy. The ensemble has received critical and popular praise for the high quality of its performances.
Canadian soprano Natalie Choquette will be performing on March 12. The unique multilingual classical entertainer presents opera with a irresistible humorous twist. Her show, Whoever said opera was boring? has delighted audiences across the world and won over many new opera fans. The South Okanagan Big Band will perform on March 27 with a wide variety of jazz, dance and other genres.
For more information on purchasing a membership call 250-402-8326 or visit online at www.pentictoncommunityconcerts.com.